Jessica D. Westerman

Ovarian hormonal state at exercise initiation interacts with nigrostriatal circuitry to determine long-term voluntary exercise behavior

This study shows that the ovarian hormonal state at the start of voluntary wheel running in female rats affects both initial and long-term exercise behavior, with dopamine signaling in the nigrostriatal circuit playing a key role.

Estrous phase during fear extinction modulates fear relapse through a nigrostriatal dopamine pathway

The paper shows that ovarian hormone levels during fear extinction affect fear relapse via the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway in female rats.

Pharmacological manipulations of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum during fear extinction have opposing effects on fear renewal

This study investigates the role of dopamine in fear extinction by testing the effects of pharmacological manipulations in specific dorsal striatum subregions on fear renewal.

Voluntary alcohol consumption during distinct phases of adolescence differentially alters adult fear acquisition, extinction and renewal in male and female rats

This study shows that voluntary alcohol consumption during early or late adolescence in rats affects adult fear behaviors differently in males and females.